Peripheral vascular disease is the scarring and narrowing of the peripheral blood vessels, commonly found in the extremities, wherein the passageways become small and stiff, hindering the adequate flow of blood.

Peripheral vascular disease is an umbrella term for conditions pertaining to veins and arteries. This term has confused a lot of nursing students because there is another kind of PVD, which stands for peripheral venous disease, which specifically pertains to only the veins, not including the arteries.